Development Setup

Overview

This guide walks you through setting up AndanDo for local development, from cloning the repository to running the application on your machine.

Before proceeding, ensure you’ve met all System Requirements.

Quick Start

Clone the Repository

Navigate to your workspace directory and clone the source code:

cd ~/workspace/source
git clone <repository-url> AndanDo
cd AndanDo/AndanDo

Configure Settings

Update connection strings and API keys in configuration files (detailed below).

Restore Dependencies

dotnet restore

Build the Project

dotnet build

Run the Application

dotnet run

Access the app at:

HTTPS: https://localhost:7129
HTTP: http://localhost:5004

Configuration Files

AndanDo uses two primary configuration files for environment-specific settings:

appsettings.json

Base configuration for all environments

appsettings.Development.json

Development-specific overrides with detailed logging

Connection String Configuration

Never commit real credentials to version control! Use environment variables or user secrets for sensitive data.

Edit both appsettings.json and appsettings.Development.json:

{
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "DefaultConnection": "Server=YOUR_SERVER;Database=AndandoDB;User Id=YOUR_USER;Password=YOUR_PASSWORD;TrustServerCertificate=true;"
  }
}

Local SQL Server
SQL Server Express
Remote SQL Server
Azure SQL Database

"DefaultConnection": "Server=localhost;Database=AndandoDB;Integrated Security=true;TrustServerCertificate=true;"

Uses Windows Authentication (no username/password needed).

"DefaultConnection": "Server=localhost\\SQLEXPRESS;Database=AndandoDB;Integrated Security=true;TrustServerCertificate=true;"

Note the double backslash for the instance name.

"DefaultConnection": "Server=your-server.database.windows.net;Database=AndandoDB;User Id=admin;Password=YourSecurePassword123!;TrustServerCertificate=true;"

Use SQL Server authentication with username and password.

"DefaultConnection": "Server=tcp:yourserver.database.windows.net,1433;Database=AndandoDB;User ID=admin@yourserver;Password=YourPassword;Encrypt=true;Connection Timeout=30;"

JWT Configuration

Configure JSON Web Token settings for authentication:

{
  "Jwt": {
    "Issuer": "AndanDo",
    "Audience": "AndanDo",
    "SecretKey": "your-secure-secret-key-at-least-32-characters-long",
    "ExpirationMinutes": 120
  }
}

Important JWT Settings:

SecretKey: Must be at least 32 characters for HS256 algorithm
ExpirationMinutes: Session duration (120 = 2 hours)
Change the default SecretKey before deployment!

SMTP Email Configuration

Configure email service for notifications and password resets:

{
  "Smtp": {
    "Host": "smtp.gmail.com",
    "Port": 587,
    "UseSsl": false,
    "UseStartTls": true,
    "User": "[email protected]",
    "Password": "your-app-specific-password",
    "FromEmail": "[email protected]",
    "FromName": "AndanDo"
  }
}

For Gmail, generate an App Password:

Enable 2-factor authentication on your Google account
Visit myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
Generate a new app password for “Mail”
Use the 16-character password in your configuration

PayPal Configuration

Set up PayPal integration for payment processing:

Sandbox (Development)
Live (Production)

{
  "PayPal": {
    "Mode": "sandbox",
    "ClientId": "YOUR_SANDBOX_CLIENT_ID",
    "ClientSecret": "YOUR_SANDBOX_SECRET",
    "BaseUrl": "https://api-m.sandbox.paypal.com"
  }
}

Get sandbox credentials from PayPal Developer Dashboard.

{
  "PayPal": {
    "Mode": "live",
    "ClientId": "YOUR_LIVE_CLIENT_ID",
    "ClientSecret": "YOUR_LIVE_SECRET",
    "BaseUrl": "https://api-m.paypal.com"
  }
}

Only use live credentials in production! Keep them secure and never commit to source control.

Database Setup

Create Database

Connect to your SQL Server instance and create the database:

CREATE DATABASE AndandoDB;
GO
USE AndandoDB;
GO

Run Database Scripts

Execute the database schema scripts to create tables and stored procedures:

Database schema scripts should be located in a /Database or /Scripts folder in the repository. Run them in order:

Table creation scripts
Stored procedure scripts
Initial data/seed scripts

If using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):

Open the script files
Ensure you’re connected to the AndandoDB database
Execute each script (F5)

Verify Database Objects

Confirm all required objects exist:

-- List all tables
SELECT TABLE_NAME 
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES 
WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE';

-- List all stored procedures
SELECT ROUTINE_NAME 
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.ROUTINES 
WHERE ROUTINE_TYPE = 'PROCEDURE';

Expected Database Tables

The database should include tables for:

Users & Auth: User accounts, authentication, password resets
Tours: Tour listings, itineraries, inclusions/exclusions, FAQs
Tickets: Ticket types, pricing, age categories, sales windows
Reservations: TourReservation, TourReservationTicket for booking data
Reviews & Likes: User reviews, ratings, and post likes
Media: Tour images and uploads metadata

Directory Structure

Ensure the following directory structure exists:

AndanDo/
├── Components/
│   ├── Pages/               # Blazor pages (Home, Marketplace, TourDetails, etc.)
│   └── Shared/              # Shared components (NavMenu, SearchBar, etc.)
├── Services/
│   ├── Auth/                # Authentication service
│   ├── JWT/                 # JWT token service
│   ├── Email/               # Email service
│   ├── Tour/                # Tour management service
│   ├── Utility/             # Utility services (likes, reviews, conversion)
│   └── Paypal/              # PayPal integration
├── Dtos/                    # Data transfer objects
├── wwwroot/
│   ├── uploads/             # User-uploaded tour images (create if missing)
│   ├── template/            # Invoice templates
│   ├── css/                 # Stylesheets
│   └── js/                  # JavaScript files
├── Properties/
│   └── launchSettings.json  # Launch profiles
├── appsettings.json         # Base configuration
├── appsettings.Development.json  # Dev configuration
└── Program.cs               # Application entry point

Create the uploads directory manually:

mkdir -p wwwroot/uploads

This directory stores user-uploaded tour images and must have write permissions.

Build and Run

Using .NET CLI

Navigate to Project Directory

cd ~/workspace/source/AndanDo/AndanDo

Restore NuGet Packages

dotnet restore

This downloads all dependencies:

MailKit v4.14.1
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient v6.1.3
System.IdentityModel.Tokens.Jwt v8.14.0
System.Drawing.Common v8.0.7

Build the Project

dotnet build

Build errors? Check that:

.NET 10.0 SDK is installed (or change to net8.0 in .csproj)
All configuration files are properly formatted

Run the Application

Default (HTTPS)
HTTP Only
Watch Mode (Hot Reload)

dotnet run

Runs with HTTPS profile, accessible at:

https://localhost:7129
http://localhost:5004

dotnet run --launch-profile http

Runs HTTP only at http://localhost:5004

dotnet watch run

Automatically rebuilds and restarts when files change.

Using Visual Studio 2022

Open AndanDo.sln in Visual Studio
Ensure AndanDo project is set as startup project
Select launch profile: https or http
Press F5 (debug) or Ctrl+F5 (run without debugging)
Browser opens automatically to https://localhost:7129

Using Visual Studio Code

Open the AndanDo folder in VS Code
Install recommended extensions (C# Dev Kit)
Press F5 or use Run > Start Debugging
Select ”.NET Core Launch (web)” configuration
Navigate to https://localhost:7129 in your browser

Verifying the Setup

Check Console Output

When the application starts, you should see:

info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[14]
      Now listening on: https://localhost:7129
info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[14]
      Now listening on: http://localhost:5004
info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[0]
      Application started. Press Ctrl+C to shut down.

Access the Homepage

Open a browser and navigate to https://localhost:7129You should see:

AndanDo logo and navigation menu
Tour marketplace with cards
Search bar with autocomplete
Recent tours slider

Test Database Connection

Try registering a new user or browsing tours. If you see data, the database connection is working correctly.

If you see database errors, verify:

SQL Server is running
Connection string is correct
Database exists with proper schema
User has necessary permissions

Check SignalR WebSocket

Open browser DevTools (F12) > Network tabLook for a successful WebSocket connection to /_blazor?id=...

Green “101 Switching Protocols” status means SignalR is connected properly.

Common Setup Issues

Port Already in Use

Error: Unable to bind to https://localhost:7129Solution: Change ports in Properties/launchSettings.json:

"applicationUrl": "https://localhost:7130;http://localhost:5005"

SQL Server Connection Failed

Error: Cannot open database "AndandoDB" requested by the loginSolutions:

Verify SQL Server is running: services.msc (Windows) or systemctl status mssql-server (Linux)
Check database exists: Connect with SSMS or Azure Data Studio
Test connection string with sqlcmd or database tool
Verify user permissions on the database

Certificate Trust Issues (HTTPS)

Error: The SSL connection could not be establishedSolution: Trust the development certificate:

dotnet dev-certs https --trust

On Linux, you may need to manually trust the certificate in your browser.

NuGet Package Restore Failed

Error: Unable to find package 'MailKit'Solutions:

Clear NuGet cache:
```
dotnet nuget locals all --clear
```
Restore with verbose logging:
```
dotnet restore --verbosity detailed
```
Check NuGet sources:
```
dotnet nuget list source
```

Upload Directory Permissions

Error: Access denied when saving file to wwwroot/uploadsSolution: Ensure the directory exists and has write permissions:

# Create directory
mkdir -p wwwroot/uploads

# Set permissions (Linux/macOS)
chmod 755 wwwroot/uploads

Development Workflow

Hot Reload

Use dotnet watch run for automatic recompilation on file changes

Database Changes

Execute SQL scripts directly in SSMS or run migrations as needed

Testing Features

Use PayPal sandbox, test email addresses, and dummy data

Debugging

Attach debugger in Visual Studio or VS Code, set breakpoints in C# code

Useful Development Commands

# Clean build artifacts
dotnet clean

# Rebuild from scratch
dotnet clean && dotnet build

# Run with specific environment
dotnet run --environment Development

# Publish for local testing
dotnet publish -c Debug

# List all project dependencies
dotnet list package

Next Steps

Production Deployment

Learn how to deploy AndanDo to production environments with IIS, Azure, or Docker

Architecture

API Reference

Configuration

Deployment

Development Setup

Overview

Quick Start

Configuration Files

appsettings.json

appsettings.Development.json

Connection String Configuration

JWT Configuration

SMTP Email Configuration

PayPal Configuration

Database Setup

Expected Database Tables

Directory Structure

Build and Run

Using .NET CLI

Using Visual Studio 2022

Using Visual Studio Code

Verifying the Setup

Common Setup Issues

Development Workflow

Hot Reload

Database Changes

Testing Features

Debugging

Useful Development Commands

Next Steps

Production Deployment

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Architecture

API Reference

Configuration

Deployment

​Overview

​Quick Start

​Configuration Files

appsettings.json

appsettings.Development.json

​Connection String Configuration

​JWT Configuration

​SMTP Email Configuration

​PayPal Configuration

​Database Setup

​Expected Database Tables

​Directory Structure

​Build and Run

​Using .NET CLI

​Using Visual Studio 2022

​Using Visual Studio Code

​Verifying the Setup

​Common Setup Issues

​Development Workflow

Hot Reload

Database Changes

Testing Features

Debugging

​Useful Development Commands

​Next Steps

Production Deployment

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Quick Start

Configuration Files

Connection String Configuration

JWT Configuration

SMTP Email Configuration

PayPal Configuration

Database Setup

Expected Database Tables

Directory Structure

Build and Run

Using .NET CLI

Using Visual Studio 2022

Using Visual Studio Code

Verifying the Setup

Common Setup Issues

Development Workflow

Useful Development Commands

Next Steps